


dawn to dusk

by orphan_account



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Octo Expansion DLC Spoilers, Post-Octo Expansion DLC, its not anything explicit in the slightest but. its there jsyk, its rated teen but things get a little bit wink wink nudge nudge at the end, pearl gets into some shit it happens, this is set after they're lesbians craig but it stands alone if you dont wanna read that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 05:46:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17823023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: She closed and locked it behind her—duly reminding herself to get better locks for their windows. She didn't remember them being that easy to open.Humming drifted through the room from the kitchen, followed by the clatter of pots and pans. Huh, that was weird too. Pearl knew what Marina's humming sounded like, and that wasn't anywhere close to it.She poked her head into the kitchen, staying mostly out of sight. Dread pooled in her stomach. This is the part where it's clear that her, Pearl Houzuki, was humbly an absolute moron. Why? Because this wasn't her apartment, or her floor. And the middle-aged jellyfish woman that was standing in the kitchen and staring with wide eyes at Pearl was definitely not Marina.---What do you do when you get locked out of your apartment? Climb the fire escape, meet a cat, bust your head open, and accidentally break into your neighbor's apartment. Duh.





	dawn to dusk

Pearl felt exhausted, dragging her legs behind her like she had weights tied to her ankles. After some encouragement from her brothers, she had been trying to get better at Turf War, and eventually Ranked and League. But all today brought was a frustrating losing streak. She must've gotten splatted dozens of times, which only added to her exhaustion. Their bodies used a large amount of energy to regenerate at a spawn point and Pearl was no exception.

Her entire body felt fatigued and heavy. Three had her running in circles all day, apparently taking a sadistic pride in being able to tell Pearl what to do. Marie and Callie found it amusing, though they were less mocking than Three when Pearl got splatted. Well, Callie was less mocking, she yelled encouragements at the rapper while she added adjustments to her custom Carbon Roller. Marie taunted her from the sidelines, polishing her charger despite the fact that she was also supposed to be helping Sheldon with weapon repairs. Pearl soon realized that it was rare Sheldon ever got the help he requested from the cousins.

She made a mental note to ask Marina if she would be interested, since the Octoling was incredibly fond of anything relating to heavy machinery or weapon designs—even after leaving the Domes.

She paused in front of the door to their shared apartment, rummaging through her bag for her ring of keys. Her bed was calling to her, damn it. If Pearl was a pirate, her bed was the siren—singing a melody that lured her in like a fish on a hook. Her smile was delirious and dopey at the thought of the soft mattress embracing her. The plush blankets pulled up to her chin and a warm inviting girlfriend wrapped around her waist.

Her hand sifted through her belongings, searching for the familiar feeling of the rough metal key. When her search came up unsuccessful, Pearl huffed, her mood slowly beginning to sour. She must've left her keys on the counter when she left the apartment this morning. Figures. Marina always liked to tease her about forgetting things, whether it was her preferred weapon to Turf War with or her phone, wallet, or _keys_. At least Marina was home today and could come unlock the door for her. Pulling out her phone instead, she opened Marina's contact page and tapped the speech bubble widget.

 

**You] 4:39 pm]**

yo marina, left my keys at home this morning. let me in pleeeease? <3

i think i need 50ccs of cuddles stat

**You] 4:52 pm]**

?marina

**You] 5:24 pm]**

?hey seriously, i've been stuck outside almost an hour. you said you were gonna stay home today. where r u

 

Pearl wasn't mad. It wasn't Marina's fault necessarily, she was the one who forgot her keys. But still, it was a little aggravating to be stuck outside in the cold hallway for an hour, especially when she was that tired. Okay, so Pearl was a little mad. Seriously, Marina always kept her phone charged, so the chances that she was ignoring Pearl's texts—or simply oblivious to them—were high. Recently, Marina had been glued to an online video game. Pearl wouldn't be surprised if her girlfriend was too enamored to bother checking her phone.

Her mind wandered to potential ways to get inside. The fire escape was... well, an option. Did Marina place a ban on her climbing in through the fire escape due to undesirable situations happening before? Yes. But Pearl wanted  _in_. So the fire escape it was. 

She pushed herself off the tacky carpeting of the hallway, grabbing her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. The boy working the desk in the lobby gave her an odd look as she headed back outside, but Pearl paid him no mind. She was on a mission. 

A quick sprint to the alleyway beside the building and she was faced with a rickety metal structure, reaching to the very top floor. It was a thirty story building—Pearl and Marina sitting comfortably on the twenty-seventh floor—so she had a long trek ahead of her. Well, no time better than the present to get some more cardio done for the day, even if her abs were already sore and achey from Turf War the same morning.

Pearl gripped the icy metal railing with one hand, beginning the climb to the top. For every step her foot landed on, she thought of a different way to express the importance of actually checking your phone to her girlfriend. For every floor she reached, she thought of a different way to cut the power cables to Marina's video game console.

By the time Pearl reached the fifth floor, her legs were already screaming to give out. Her muscles burned with overexertion and her lungs worked overtime to keep her oxygen supply going. She paused on the landing to catch her breath, sitting on the edge and leaning against the railing. This wasn't how she was expecting today to go, and honestly, the hallway was much better than this. At least the hallway had  _some_  form of heating, and an elevator, and wasn't covered in bird shit. 

Scratching against glass caught her attention, and she looked up at the window of the apartment she was outside of. A fluffy black cat sat in the windowsill, golden eyes wide as they tracked Pearl's movements. The Inkling immediately felt her mood pick up, her legs scrambling upright so she could move closer to the window. When she neared the cat, Pearl watched as its mouth stretched into what was presumably a  _meow_. Her hearts felt like all three of them were gonna burst. 

The cat rubbed its head against the glass pane, apparently trying to rub up against Pearl but unaware of the obtrusion. "Oh cod... I love you." She whispered, eyes wide and shiny. "You are the best part of my day. Sweet baby prince. Little cloud." The Inkling babbled in a high pitched voice, her wrecked mood beginning to curve back upward. 

Pearl decided to call the cat Inky, and maybe that wasn't the cat's real name. But to her, he was Inky. And she fucking  _loved_  him. "I want a cat like you." She began to make conversation, kneeling below the window in a more comfortable position. "I mean, Judd and Lil' Judd stay at our apartment sometimes, but they're weird cats. You know what I mean, Inky?" Inky blinked at her.

"Like, Judd  _talks_. In Inklish. Lil' Judd does too, sometimes. But it's  _so_  weird. Also, apparently Judd is over a hundred years old? Four showed me this page in a book thing about it. Crazy stuff." She sighed, turning around and resting her head against the brick.

"Nothing in my life is normal anymore, Inky. You seen that huge ass statue in the lake recently? I was there, I wrecked that shit with my  _voice_. Some telephone guy wanted to wipe out all Cephalopods because we're like, not as good as humans were or some junk." Pearl watched as the cat curled up on the windowsill, still looking at her intently. She took that as a cue to continue talking. Because hey, Inky was a cat. A cat that couldn't talk or understand what she was saying. So she took the opportunity to keep on rambling.

"And there's like, this huge subway system underground too. And they brainwash Octolings. My girlfriend, Marina, is an Octoling too. She wants to go down there and try to save everyone. Because she's some kind of martyr, apparently. But I love her, you know? How can I not?" Inky yawned, resting his head on his paws and closing his eyes. Pearl watched his nose twitch, envying him immensely. "I wish that were me right now, but I think your owner would spray me with a water bottle if I fell asleep here." Pearl mused, standing up and dusting the dirt off her athletic pants.

"I'll let you sleep. But if you get tired of living here, go to the twenty-seventh floor and take me up on my offer. I'll give you ham slices." She promised, putting her hands on the glass and pressing her nose to the window. "See ya around, cowboy." Pearl watched him rest for a minute more before she stepped away and continued upwards, her energy revitalized from before. 

Her legs still felt achy from overexertion, but the pain wasn't as sharp as it was before. The display of her phone said that it was around six in the evening now. Shouldn't Marina be getting worried? Pearl was supposed to be home an hour and a half ago, and if she was being honest, it stung a little bit that her girlfriend hadn't even tried to call her yet. 

The sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and the temperature dropped along with it. Well, a dozen more floors to go. If she had more energy, Pearl would try to make the excursion more fun by daring herself to race the sun. But at the current state she was in, the idol couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't black out from exhaustion on a random step.

Around the seventh floor, the city lights began to flicker on. The lights were Pearl's favorite part about Inkopolis. Especially since the night of the sleepover that she spent with Marina on the balcony. Recalling the memory still made her lips tingle. She pressed her fingertips to them, smiling. That was around a month ago now, and Pearl had loved every minute she spent dating Marina since.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize when her foot hit a patch of ice on a step, until it flew out from under her. Pearl's face hit the edge of the metal step as she promptly ate shit on the fire escape. She tumbled down a couple steps, clutching her forehead where the impact was centered. Fuck. Her vision went slightly spotty and her head throbbed. This day was getting better by the minute, apparently. Pearl pulled her hand away, unsurprised at the sight of the pink ink that seeped in between her fingers. She wiped it off with her sleeve and stood up again, swaying slightly.

Marina was gonna kill her for multiple reasons. Or more like, one master reason and a dozen sub-reasons. The master reason being having the genius idea to climb the fire escape despite being told not to do it again, and then following through with it. Pearl continued her ascend as she thought of the sub-reasons.

First off, the new open gash on her forehead. Second, spending the better part of an hour outside in the cold night. She would probably be getting sick soon because of that, which branched off into reason three. Which would be having to make Marina do the news report on her own, just so Pearl wouldn't have to show up sick on live TV.

Her thoughts trailed off after three reasons, unable to come up with more. They'd undoubtedly come to her later, most likely while she's being scolded by her girlfriend for being reckless. 

Her phone said seven o'clock by the time Pearl reached the twenty-seventh floor, and she had never felt more relief in her life. The wind was stronger up here, whipping through her clothes and making them snap against her frostbitten skin. Athletic wear wasn't the most insulating. Shivers racked her body and made her teeth chatter. 

Numb fingers slid along the sealed edge of the window, pulling upward in hopes that the window was unlocked. No dice. Pearl sighed, reaching into her bag and grabbing her switchblade, flicking it open. She jammed the blade into the seal of the window, wiggling it back and forth in an attempt to release the latches.

A telltale  _click_  made her ears twitch in delight. Pearl put away her knife and slid the window up, grabbing her bag and clambering through into the dining room. She closed and locked it behind her—duly reminding herself to get better locks for their windows. She didn't remember them being that easy to open. 

Humming drifted through the room from the kitchen, followed by the clatter of pots and pans. Huh, that was weird too. Pearl knew what Marina's humming sounded like, and that wasn't anywhere close to it.

She poked her head into the kitchen, staying mostly out of sight. Dread pooled in her stomach. This is the part where it's clear that her, Pearl Houzuki, was humbly an absolute  _moron_. Why? Because this wasn't her apartment, or her floor. And the middle-aged jellyfish woman that was standing in the kitchen and staring with wide eyes at Pearl was  _definitely_ not Marina.

"Robber! You rat! Stay back!" The woman shrieked, pointing a spatula at her like it was a viable weapon. Pearl held her hands up in surrender, her heart racing.

"No wait! I'm not gonna rob you!" She assured, voice laced with panic. Her forehead was still seeping with ink, she could feel it pool in her left eyebrow. "I-I'm the girl from the news! Remember? D...D-Don't get cooked, stay off the hook! Right?!" Pearl's attempt was a shot in the dark. Her hands shook as she held them in her signature pose, her lip quivering as she plastered a fake smile on her face.

"I don't have anything against calling the police, missy! Celebrity or not, you're a dirty thief!"

"I live above you! I got locked out of my apartment! Come on!" Pearl pleaded, stepping backward until her back was pressed against the window. Her fingers fumbled with the lock. "Don't call the police!"

The latch released and Pearl shoved the window upwards, jumping back out onto the escape and closing it behind her. She mouthed the word 'sorry' at the woman on the other side of the glass before bolting up the steps to the next landing. 

She peered in the window, making sure that this one was, in fact, her own apartment. She could try to knock on the window, but it would be a gamble considering that Marina liked to listen to music loudly. Very loudly. Pearl sighed, retrieving her knife yet again and repeating the steps from earlier. The window popped open and Pearl slipped through, her body slumping the second her foot touched soft carpet. She felt like she was so happy to be home that she could cry. 

Pearl tossed her backpack onto the dining room table, stretching her arms above her head and sighing in relief when her joints popped. She moved into the kitchen, swiping a granola bar off the counter and ripping the packaging open. She idly chewed on one, keeping the second one in the pack. The Inkling hadn't eaten all day and, knowing Marina, she assumed her girlfriend hadn't either. 

She wandered into the studio room, seeing Marina hunched in front of the TV with a remote gripped tightly in her hands. The Octoling was muttering curses in Octarian, volume increasing when her character was hit with a grenade. 

"Fuck!" She switched into Inklish, pausing the game and rubbing her temples. Pearl rapped her knuckles on the door frame. Marina whipped around, her frustration with the game forgotten.

"Pearlie? I thought you were... Oh." Marina trailed off when her gaze caught on the digital clock, displaying 7:10 in large blinking numerics. "You're uh... You're back late."

Pearl raised a cream colored eyebrow, the one without caked ink on it. She took another bite of her granola bar. "Check your phone." She stated bluntly, watching as Marina's expression twisted in confusion as she reached for her phone. 

Confusion turned into realization, and then guilt. "Oh... I'm so sorry, Pearl. I didn't realize." Whatever anger Pearl had remaining fizzled out. She chewed on her lower lip. 

"S'fine. I had to climb the fire escape, which you can't say shit about this time." 

Marina nodded, standing up and flicking a switch on, bathing the previously dim room in light. She gasped loudly when her eyes landed on the Inkling again.

"Pearl! Your face!"

"I know, charmingly handsome as ever, am I right? Well you're lucky, babe. 'Cause this is all y- oof!" She was cut off as Marina clutched her face, examining the wound on her forehead. Pearl swore she saw tears well up in her girlfriend's eyes.

"Hey, it's not that bad." She amended quickly, swiping her thumb underneath the Octoling's eye. "Just ate shit on the escape. It was probably funny as hell. Maybe the security cam got it." Pearl tried to lighten the mood, her heart fluttering when her attempts resulted in Marina giggling quietly. She sniffled, wiping her eyes. 

"That's not funny." Marina insisted afterward. Pearl rolled her eyes, grinning.

"Sure. You want a granola bar? Gotta keep the girlfriend uh... nutritionized." She held out the packaged one, watching as Marina gently took it out and bit into it, crumbs spilling out of her mouth.

"That's not a word." She pointed out, a small smile on her face. "I'll excuse it though, cause you're so cute, Pearlie." 

\---

"I still feel bad." 

Pearl shoveled another forkful of takeout into her mouth, looking at Marina over the styrofoam container.

"S'not your fault. Just eat your rice." Pearl insisted, using the dull end of her utensil to nudge Marina's food closer to her. Her girlfriend gave her an unimpressed look, but dug her spoon into the carton anyways. She indulged in the silence for a couple minutes, before it was broken again.

"Can I at least make it up to you?" Marina inquired.

She raised an eyebrow, propping her head up on her hand, elbow balanced on the armrest of the couch. "Like how?" Pearl had the feeling that she already knew, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Marina rolled her eyes, standing up and putting her food on the coffee table, before gently prying Pearl's container from her hands and doing the same. Pearl felt her breath catch when Marina crawled into her lap, her knees on either side of Pearl's hips as she straddled her. Warm breath fanned over her cheek. 

A shock went down her spine when the Octoling tucked one of her bobbed tentacles behind her ear, leaning in to sensually whisper to her. Pearl's brain ran a mile a minute, her heart rate picking up. Her face was radiating heat.

"I'll let you win at Mariokart." Plush lips whispered in her ear, Pearl blinked as she processed the words.  _That_ was how Marina was going to make it up to her?

"Whuh?" Pearl mumbled ineloquently, biting back a whine when Marina pulled away and stood up with a smug smile. "What, did you think I was gonna say something else?" She asked coyly, looking way too proud of herself.

Pearl covered her face with her hands. "Go away. Nerd." She muttered, almost positive her face was flushed with pink ink. She was embarrassed that she was reduced to putty under the other idol's touch so quickly. Usually  _Marina_  was the soft affectionate one.

Marina snickered, her hand covering her mouth. "Awww, Pearlie~"

Pearl ignored her, falling over to lay on her side on the couch and turning around so her back was facing Marina. "Nope. Nuh-uh. Nada. You fooled me. You're a trickster. I can't believe any more of your lies." She insisted, folding her arms petulantly. 

A warm hand traced her spine, making her shiver. "How about giving you a warm bath? You're still freezing." That couldn't be farther from the truth. Pearl was actually burning up, but she didn't want to give Marina the satisfaction of knowing how much she affected her. She grumbled, peeking over her shoulder. Marina was watching her with a bemused smile. She huffed.

"I think you're evil. This isn't fair." Pearl insisted, sitting up anyways. Marina immediately snaked her arms around her waist, mouthing kisses along the back of her neck. She sighed dazedly, her back arching slightly. "Sorry, I'm done, baby." The Octoling promised in between kisses, her hands making their way under Pearl's hoodie and splaying against her bare stomach.

Pearl leaned her head back until it rested on Marina's shoulder, her eyes closed. "A bath sounds nice, if you were offering honestly." 

"I was!" She could hear her girlfriend's voice light up considerably, laced with excitement. The rapper was about to stand up off the couch, but was cut off by strong arms looping underneath her shoulders and knees. She clutched at Marina's sweatshirt as she was lifted into the air, a yelp leaving her lips. Marina giggled.

"I won't drop you, promise." 

"I-I wasn't worried about that!" Pearl insisted, golden eyes locking onto turquoise. Marina arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like you were." 

She huffed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. I wasn't but whatever." The air left her lungs when she was unceremoniously dropped onto the mattress, punctuated with a quiet  _oof_. Her brain didn't have time to catch up before her hoodie was pulled up over her head, warm lips marking chaste kisses along her shoulders. Marina seemed to be more restless than usual, but Pearl wasn't surprised since she had been gone all day and the Octoling tended to show physical affection more than anything.

"Eager? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you missed me today, Reen- _ah_." Pearl gasped when sharp teeth grazed one of the spots that had been kissed, she could feel Marina smile against her skin. Slender fingers made quick work of discarding her sports bra as well, leaving the cold air harsh and unforgiving against her bare chest. The other idol pecked her quickly on the nose, before straightening up and looking down at Pearl—sprawled on the mattress and completely topless. The Inkling flushed bright pink. "D-Don't stare!" 

Marina jumped, covering her eyes with her hands. Pearl could see the teal flush gracing her cheeks from between her fingers. "Sorry! I wasn't trying to!" Her voice cracked with embarrassment. "I'm g-gonna uh... go start the bath." Whatever façade of confidence Marina had had vanished. She looked incredibly flustered as everything that had transpired caught up to her. The idol quickly fled to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. 

Pearl stared at the ceiling, listening intently to the audible water faucet turning on from behind the closed door. _What the hell?_ They hadn't been dating too terribly long, and hadn't dared to venture further into the less... PG-13 appropriate aspects of their relationship. Yet, in the span of five minutes, Marina had already stripped her down halfway. Pearl was comfortable with it, clearly. She would've stopped Marina if she wasn't (and she had no doubt that Marina would've stopped immediately as well if it didn't feel right), but it was still jarring. It sent her heart rate on an unsteady rampage.

She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes until fireworks popped behind her eyelids, making a small frustrated noise. It wasn't unprompted, after all. Pearl had accepted Marina's offer for a relaxing bath and a bath usually included—or lack thereof—clothes. She supposed that the only frustrating thing about the experience was that Marina kept _stopping_. 

The sound of the door opening caught her attention, and Pearl removed her hands, looking up to see Marina's head poking out from the bathroom. She looked embarrassed.

"Sorry about that. The bath's ready. I'll um..." Marina gestured awkwardly to Pearl's chest. "Do that too, if you want me to."

Pearl pushed herself off the mattress, chewing on her lip. "It doesn't matter if _I_ want you to. It's all up to you and what you want. I don't mind either way." She walked past the Octoling and into the steamy bathroom. The warm air made her muscles relax almost immediately. 

"And Marina..." 

The DJ paused, turning around to look at her. "Yes?"

"I... You shouldn't feel bad about it. I liked it. A lot, actually. You have some moves, you know." Pearl assured, a small comforting smile on her lips. She averted her gaze when she finished undressing all the way, slipping into the hot water with an audible exhale of relief. Her eyes slipped shut of their own accord. Cod this felt amazing. She sunk lower until the water nearly lapped at her chin.

Marina hovered uncertainly, startling when a golden eye cracked open to lock onto her. "Whatever you're comfortable with." Pearl reminded, closing her eyes again when she saw Marina's fingers grip the hem of her shirt. 

After a minute or so of the sound of fabric rustling, there was a gentle tap on her shoulder. "Slide forward." Marina murmured. She obliged immediately, the water sloshing back and forth as her girlfriend lowered herself into the tub behind her. Once Marina was settled, Pearl leaned back against her, sighing contentedly. She fished a clawed hand out of the water, holding it comfortably in her smaller hand and pressing a kiss to the palm. Marina made a quiet noise behind her.

Pearl reached for the bottle of soap, the Octoling beating her to the punch and grabbing it before she could. "Here... Let me." The melodious voice hummed in her ear, soapy hands beginning to massage out the tension that riddled her body. And, _wow_ , Marina knew what she was doing. Pearl bit back a moan when a particularly troublesome knot was worked out of her shoulder. Marina smiled. "Good?"

"Oh, _fuck_. Yeah. Cod, yeah." Pearl exhaled, leaning back for more traction. "Three didn't spare any punches today. I don't know how Eight keeps up with her. Plus I climbed twenty-seven flights, so this is fucking _amazing_." Marina snorted, pressing a kiss to Pearl's neck as she cupped the water in her hands, using it to wash the soap away.

The Inkling wanted to stay in here forever with Marina, but their bodies weren't able to handle prolonged water exposure—even with the specially filtered city water. Pearl could already feel her legs begin to tingle, feeling like small electric shocks were dissipating across her skin. She knew that if she voiced this concern, Marina would make her get out of the tub, and she really did not want to do that. 

Pearl shifted, turning around in place so that she was on her knees in between Marina's legs. The taller of the two flustered at the implications of the new position, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. 

"Your turn."

"You don't have to do that... I'm supposed to be doing this for you, remember?"

Pearl rolled her eyes. "To hell with that." She popped open the bottle of soap again, pouring a generous amount of the sweet-smelling substance into her palm. Marina's gaze followed her as she shifted even closer, not for any particular reason at all—Pearl could've reached just fine from where she was sitting before. The rapper began to lather the soap over Marina's skin, eyes focused on what she was doing.

"Now who's staring?" The Octoling taunted, despite the embarrassment tinging her cheeks. Pearl huffed, leaning in to lock their lips together, her hands continuing to work the soap over her girlfriend's skin. Marina made a small muffled noise of surprise against her lips, before eagerly reciprocating. 

Her mouth opened habitually when a tongue swiped over the seam of her lower lip, Marina's hand splayed over the back of her head and guiding her in closer. Pearl could only oblige, a breathy moan leaving her mouth as a tongue lapped at her own. Her hands stilled, the Inkling's mind too preoccupied to pay it any attention. Instead, they gripped lightly at Marina's waist. She whined when the other idol broke off the kiss, panting.

"Pearl... Water." Was the only sentence Marina could form, her brain clouded. Pearl nodded, quickly splashing the water to wash off what soap she _did_ manage to work in, before pulling the plug on the tub.

"Heh... Sorry, didn't finish." She didn't sound apologetic at all, more pleased with herself than anything. Marina looked dazed, her eyes locked onto Pearl's swollen lips. "...Earth to Marina?" 

"Wh... Yeah?" Cerulean and salmon eyes snapped back up to meet gold, abashed. The Inkling smiled, pecking her lightly. "Nothin'. You just zoned out. Let's go to bed." She reached out to grab two fluffy towels, wrapping one around Marina's shoulders and tucking the other around her own body. Pearl stood up, stepping out of the tub first and holding out a hand for Marina to use for balance—which she refused initially, until her foot skidded. She grabbed onto the rapper in a vice grip, yelping. 

Pearl snorted, holding onto the Octoling's bicep for stability. "Almost wiped out there, huh?" 

"Sh-Shush!" Marina huffed indignantly, her grip loosening once she was out of the bathtub. Still, she murmured her gratification for Pearl's save a couple seconds later.

\---

The next morning, Pearl's slouched over the coffee pot, watching the infuriatingly slow drip of the brew. They had an, uh,  _eventful_ night last night after the bath. And even though in all the movies and telenovelas she's seen, the characters always bright and chipper on the so called morning-after, she was tired.

Somewhere in between working out with Three, climbing dozens of stories of stairs, and Marina's restless energy, her muscles ached and creaked with every movement. She groaned and rested her forehead on the cool marble countertop, her arms hanging limply below her. The culprit in question stumbled into the kitchen, yawning. Pearl angled her head to the side, watching as Marina made a beeline for the coffee machine before pausing, posture slumping in disappointment.

It _sucked_. Pearl was barely in her twenties yet she felt like how she imagined Cap'n Cuttlefish must've felt—all weak joints paired with wobbly balance. Man, maybe she needed to get herself a stick to walk with.

"Coffee's not ready yet." She mumbled when Marina presumably opened her mouth to voice a complaint about the lack of caffeinated substance at the ready. The Octoling snapped her mouth shut, nodding. Pearl listened to the scuffling footsteps that moved across the kitchen, paired with the sound of cabinets opening and paper bags rustling. She lifted her head up to see the cause.

"I'm making pancakes for you." Marina supplied helpfully, flicking on the gas stove—it clicking until a blue flame licked at the grate above it. She set a heavy pan on top of it, moving to measure out ingredients while it heated up. A warm feeling fluttered in Pearl's chest as she grinned, straightening herself upright.

"You don't gotta make me breakfast just because we had sex." The Inkling pointed out, fully aware that a large amount of her girlfriend's knowledge about unspoken dating customs had stemmed from shitty TV comedies. Pearl was a lazy teacher when she was nineteen, alright? Plus, the former engineer had seemed enamored with them anyways, so it was a win-win.

Marina fumbled with the measuring cup, flour spilling over the countertop. She whipped to meet Pearl's eyes, face burning wildly. "I-I'm not!" She protested, barely audible over the rapper's cackling. 

"Awright, sure. Whatever you say. I really appreciate it, in all seriousness." The coffee machine beeped loudly, Pearl immediately perked up and grabbed two mugs out of the overhead cabinet. 

"A little bit of cream, no sugar." Marina reminded, mixing the batter for their breakfast. 

"Aye aye, captain." Pearl poured the proper amount of cream into the mug, filling it the rest of the way with the coffee from the pot. She placed the steaming mug of coffee in front of Marina, accentuated with a kiss on the cheek before moving to pour an ungodly amount of cream in her own cup. 

Ten minutes later, they both sat on the couch together, basking in the late morning sun with plates stacked high with pancakes. Pearl shoved a sticky, sugary forkful of cake into her mouth as Marina sipped idly at her coffee while scrolling through Squidder. 

"...Hey Pearl?" Marina spoke up, her thumb pausing her scroll through her social media. The Inkling chewed her breakfast slowly, unable to pinpoint the tone of Marina's voice.

"Yuh?" 

A bright phone screen was shoved in her face. "What's this?" Marina questioned. Pearl blinked as her eyes focused in on it. It was a news article, the timestamp showing it was posted earlier in the morning. The picture under the headline was blurry, but it looked like a figure crouched in front of a window. The headline? Large bold letters that made her choke on her pancake.

**Pop Star Idol Lookalike Breaks Into Apartments In Inkopolis Square?**

An anonymous caller has recently given us a tip on an interesting event that transpired Friday evening. A young woman with an appearance strikingly similar to that of Pearl Houzuki from the hit duo Off The Hook was recently spotted breaking into apartments in Inkopolis Square. The building's landlord informed us that he highly doubts the pop idol would engage in crime, and that it was most likely an impressionable viewer who caught onto the look. No statement from the authorities has yet been released, but it appears that no belongings were actually stolen. We...  _Read More_

"Uh... Honest mistake?"

**Author's Note:**

> LISTEN. i know i said i would be making more chatlogs but i wrote this all in one sitting at 3am and when im able to write 5k words... im gonna post it. this was just a silly idea i had and it also led me to get lost in forum threads about skyscraper records because i wasn't sure if a 30 story exposed fire escape actually existed. spoiler alert, the assumed record is 38 stories. also i didnt intend on vanishing for a month but. life. you know. ill probably write chatlogs within the next couple of weeks tho so... :eyes:


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